Hopple for horses.



W. LEEGH & G. L. DE RYDER.

HOPPLE FOR HORSES;

APPLIUATION FILED 0o'r.19,19os.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

wane/was MOWGid mnazw. a. GRAHAM w, FNOTO-LITHOGFAPHERS. wAsumcmN, o. c,

UNITED srnrns PATENT ornroii.

WILLIAM LEEGI-I AND CHARLES L. 'DE RYDER, OF MARYSVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

HOPPLE FOR HORSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1909.

Application filed October 19, 1908. Serial No. 458,448.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WVILLIAM LEECH and CHARLES L. DE RYDER, citizens of the United States, residing at Marysville, in the county 5 of Yuba, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hopples for Horses; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this applica- L5 tion.

This invention relates to improvements in harness and particularly to hopples used for hop'pling horses or mares when desired for any purpose, the main object of the invention being to produce a means for preventing mares, during service by the stallion, from kicking, rearing or becoming otherwise unruly and fractious. While this is the main object of the device it of course is adapted to be used on any kind of a kicking horse, or to prevent the horse from jumping fences or the like.

A. further object of the invention is to produce a simple, inexpensive and efi'ective 0 device and one which will be adjustable to any size or build of horse.

These objects we accomplish by means of an adjustable strap adapted to be disposed around the legs of the animal, there being 5 suitable adjustable retaining straps for holding the same in position; also by such other and further construction as will appear by a perusal of the following specification and claim.

) In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a horse showing the device installed. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the complete device.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference in the drawings 1 designates a main strap adapted to encircle the legs of the animal just over the hooks on the rear legs and on the fore legs of the horse, such strap having an adjustment buckle 2 to adjust the length as required according to the build of the horse.

Secured fixedly on both sides of said strap 1 near the forward end are two straps 3 projecting at an angle from each other and having a ring 4 flexibly disposed in their upper ends. Into one of said rings 4 is flexibly joined a strap 5 having a snap hook 6 in its other end adapted to engage the other ring 4 when desired, such strap 5 having an adjustment buckle .7 therein to adjust the strap 1 to the proper point to fit around the fore legs of the horse.

8 is a strap, fixed as at a to the side of the strap 1 on which is the buckle 2 and having a loop 9 slidably disposed over the strap 1 on the other side, said strap adapted to fit over the back of the horse, the sliding loop 9 permitting the proper adjustment in conjunction with the buckle 2 according to the length of the horse, there being also a buckle 10 in said strap 9 to permit such vertical adjustment as might be required.

In practice when the device is installed the strap 1 fits around the back legs just over the hooks and around the fore legs of the horse and is maintained in that position by the strap 5 extending over the withers of the horse and the strap 1 prevents the horse from kicking or becoming fractious. It can be used on any kind of kicking horses to good effect.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that we have produced such a device as will substantially fulfil the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhil-e this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what we claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is A hopple for horses comprising a horizontally disposed strap adapted to encircle the legs of the animal, an adjustment buckle in said strap, two straps fixedly secured to said horizontal strap on both sides of its forward end, a ring flexibly disposed in each pair of said straps, a strap flexibly and fix- 'In testimony whereof We afiix our signaedly secured at one end to one of said rings, tures in presence of two Witnesses. a snap hook in the other end of said strap WILLIAM LEECH en ageable with the other of said rings a '1 str ap fixedly secured to one side of said hdri- CHAS DE RYDER zontal strap near the rear thereof, and a loop Witnesses: in the other end of said strap movable over v PERCY S. WEBSTER,

said horizontal strap. JOSHUA B. WEBSTER. 

